English language in the workplace : the relationship between the language of task oriented emails and organisational behaviour

Abstract

This interdisciplinary case study examines the association between pragmatic strategies used in the language of task-oriented emails and organisational behaviour. The empirical data consists of a number of purposely selected authentic work emails, which are supplemented by contextual stories. These are developed using direct knowledge and insight of the situation, and relevant documentation from the time that the emails were written. A grounded theory approach is used to produce a qualitative description of the organisation’s culture and behaviour, which is understood and evidenced from the facts that emerge from the abstracted data. These facts are depicted in a conceptual data model, which uses Speech Act Theory as its basis. The findings are considered using the politeness theories of Brown and Levinson (1978, 1987) and Leech (1983) in combination with a number of relevant frameworks that describe organisational behaviour. The outcome appears to confirm the implications of previous studies, which indicate that social considerations alone do not account for the use and application of politeness strategies. Rather, the specific setting, the particular moment in time in the life of the organisation, and the motivations of the sender all seem to have a significant bearing on the language of the emails. The study finds that the sender influences organisational culture and behaviour through the language of his emails by impinging on the value system of the organisation. It concludes that the politeness strategies that are used to mitigate the burden of the obligations placed by requests not only help to get things done presently, but are also a way of motivating people to achieve longer term goals and objectives. To this effect, the discovery of Cooperation Acts is markedly significant. These acts are put forward as manifestations of particularly calculated use of language that is indicative of long term motivations, rather than mere short term or immediate aims. Finally, the study proposes a generic model for the emerging theory which can be used to test the findings in other settings, possibly with a wider scope.